Managing Blood Pressure With Essential Oils

Something of that concerns every single one of us is how we will deal with health issues in the event modern medicine and western doctors are no longer available to keep us well. This goes far beyond current health woes because, as you know, stuff happens and someone that is perfectly healthy one day may be stricken with a health-related malady the next.

With that introduction, a few months back I decided to explore whether the use of essential oils could help manage high blood pressure during times of trouble. From the get go, I will tell you that managing blood pressure with essential oils is a very personal quest. My own, traditionally perfect blood pressure, had suddenly taken a leap from 120/80 to 160/90 and higher. I was not a happy camper.

After consulting with my physician, I decided to experiment using essential oils before taking more drastic measures, named pharmaceuticals.

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the measure of the blood flow pushing against the walls of the arteries in your body. Without this flow of blood, oxygen would never get to all the organs of the body.

If this pressure, however, is elevated over time, it can cause long-term damage. Many millions of adults in the U.S. have this condition, which is often asymptomatic (no signs or symptoms). Because of this, it has been referred to as a “silent killer”. Blood pressure tends to rise with increasing age and weight.

For better or for worse, many adults routinely take blood pressure medications to control this silent killer. The hope is that by managing blood pressure, a stoke or heart attack can be avoided.

Essential Oils to Manage High Blood Pressure

The results of my research and testing have been quite remarkable. Before I share what has worked for me, I want to state that my use of essential oils to manage high blood pressure began with a baseline of good health. A healthy diet, frequent exercise, and height and weight in proportion are always a good starting point for any sort of natural protocol and I passed on all accounts.

With that out of the way, I can tell you that by applying the blend below, my blood pressure has stabilized at about 110/76 in the mornings and 106/66 in the evenings. On a few occasions it has been lower; low enough for me to verify that it was not too low. (It wasn’t.)

After melting the Simple Salve, add the essential oils and mix well using a small stick or toothpick. Set it aside to firm up overnight.

Twice a day, take a bit of BP Salve, as I call it, and rub some into the sole of the left foot, right below the big toe. Also rub some below the ring finger of your left hand and over your heart. These are commonly referred to as the “reflex points” for the heart. (You might find the WikiHow on Reflexology interesting.)

If you don’t want to make up a batch of Simple Salve (directions here), you can use coconut oil, olive oil, or some other carrier oil.

Although I prefer the salve, I have also used the same essential oils in a roller ball topped with fractionated (liquid) coconut oil. In that case, use just 10 drops of Ylang Ylang and 5 drops each of the other oils.

Essential Oils Equals Calm Equals Less Stress

There is one additional step I have been taking as part of my overall blood pressure management protocol. Nightly, I have set a diffuser up on my nightstand and have diffused this same blend throughout the night.

To simplify the process, I have mixed a small bottle of the oils in the proportions shown. Then before bed, I add water to the diffuser and 8 drops of my blend. Whether it is a coincidence or not, my nocturnal visits to the bathroom have gone from six or seven times a night to one or two. I am sleeping better and, of course, my blood pressure is back in the normal range.

This has me thinking that perhaps the reason this protocol is working is because the the oils have been calming. Calm evokes relaxation and the end result is less stress. Is that really what is happening here?

I leave it up to you to decide whether you want to try a diffuser; all that I can say is that it is working for me.

A Word About Blood Pressure Monitors

I currently have two blood pressure monitors, although one is new and did not arrive in time for this article. One, the LifeSource UB-512 is more than a few years old and is being replaced because the battery cover has broken. It is being held together with tape at the moment but still is cranking away giving readings very similar to those in my doctor’s office. That said, I am looking forward to my new Omron 7 and expect that it will perform equally well.

Both Shelly and I have found that our BP readings are lower at night than in the morning. According to our physicians, it is normal to have some fluctuation so there is no cause for worry unless the numbers start to climb above the 140/90 range and stay there.

Regardless of what particular monitor you choose, taking a periodic reading is important so that you can take action if your levels become too high. As I discovered myself, that can happen in a flash.

The Next Step

Before you rush off and begin to self-medicate using essential oils let me say this. If you are under a doctor’s care for hypertension (high blood pressure), keep track of your results and share them with your health care provider before making any change in your drug protocol. With Shelly (aka the Survival Husband), his cardiologist was on board and changed his drug protocol ever so slightly because the results with EOs were promising. Not as good as mine, but promising.

The other thing is similar to all natural remedies, what works for one person make work better – or not at all – for someone else. Always keep that in mind and anticipate the need to experiment to find your own unique formula.

Disclaimer: Remember that I am not a health care professional. Furthermore, essential oils have not been approved by the FDA for medical use and this should not be construed as medical advice.

Essential Oils for Health and Wellness

After a ton of research, for wellness purposes I use 100% pure essential oils from Spark Naturals. There are a lot reasons the most important being their commitment to both quality and value. I am satisfied that the raw materials used in Spark Naturals products are tested and authenticated to be of pharmaceutical grade purity.

I also like that they are not an MLM and everyone pays the same price without having to cough up dues or membership fees. Spark Naturals is open about the fact that there is no official system that grades essential oils as A, B, C or Therapeutic grade. If you see a site that makes that claim, it is marketing hype and not fact.

If you decide to purchase the essential oils used in my Blood Pressure Salve from Spark Naturals, you will receive a 10% discount when you use the discount code “BACKDOORSURVIVAL” at checkout.

The Final Word

I personally feel that essential oils are minor miracle workers. Some of my personal favorites include Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Oregano, Peppermint, and Lavender as well as the oils used in the blood pressure salve/blend. That said, if you are just starting out, I suggest you start with these four and branch out as you become more comfortable with using essential oils for day to day first aid purposes.

If the time ever comes when modern medicine is not available, I know for sure that I will turn to my cache of oils to get me through. As I have taken to saying: Stuff Happens – Be Ready!

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye

For health and wellness purposes, I use Spark Naturals oils exclusively. By that I mean any essential oil that is applied directly to my skin. You will find that dealing with Spark Naturals is a pleasure; they have great monthly sales and customer service is top notch!

Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to items related to today’s article.

The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way: This book by Joe and Amy Alton book teaches how to deal with all the likely medical issues you will face in a disaster situation, including strategies to keep your family healthy even in the worse scenarios. It covers skills such as performing a physical exam, transporting the injured patient, and even how to suture a wound. This medical reference belongs in every survival library.

Diffusers: You are definitely going to want to consider a diffuser. I keep one in my office next to my desk and two in the bedroom (one at each side of the bed). The diffuser pictured below is this one: ZAQ Dew Aromatherapy Diffuser. The diffuser shown in the article is a ZAQ Mirage.

Aromatherapy Glass Roll On Bottles, Frost Cobalt Blue-Set of 6: You are going to want some of these for your oils. I put essential oils (singly or in combination) in a roller ball with a bit of fractionated coconut oil and use it to apply EOs topically. Note that I prefer the cobalt blue roller ball containers but they are also available in clear. These complement the custom salves I mix up and store in these 1/2 ounce ointment jars.

Glass Droppers, Pack of 6: I bought a package of these and loved them. When I went to re-order, I accidentally ordered plastic instead glass droppers. Learn from my mistake. The price is the same so get the glass ones.

Essential Oils Desk Reference 6th Edition: I thought long and hard before purchasing this book myself, but once I did, I was so grateful I took the leap. The information is cross referenced in many ways making it easy to find what you are looking for. When searching for a particular remedy, you may see multiple oils listed and any will work but they are presented in order of typical efficacy. The nice thing is that if you do not have #1 on hand, you can move down the list. I have found the recommendations to be spot on.

Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.

Amazon has a feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing” for and in this way you know what the top products are. All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.

I plan to continue as long as I have to in order to avoid meds. I did not mention it in the article but I have made a batch without the Frankincense to see what happens. Frank, as we call it, can be quite precious (expensive) but it does kick things up a notch. Now that I have stabilized, I want to see if it can be omitted.

Different sites are saying not to use Rosemary if you have high blood pressure. You’ve added it to your BP salve. Have you heard something different about Rosemary? I know it’s good for memory and improved thinking (I need a lot of that!), but have you heard if it is now used for blood pressure?

Indeed, for some, Rosemary EO has been know to raise BP. On the other hand, Rosemary can bring about a sense of calm thus lowering your BP. I have tried making the salve both ways and have better luck with the Rosemary essential oil. If you are concerned, try making it without at first and see how you do. You can always add it later.

I’ve made your BP salve and have already had success !! I’m so thrilled! Thank you so much. I’ll continue to use the Rosemary. Could you tell me which kind of Francincense you use? Is it the Boswellia Sacra (Sacred)?
Thank you again for sharing such helpful info.

I only have Frankincense Carteri. Do you think I should get the Frereana? I am going to do as you suggested and leave out the Rosemary and see how it goes. I”m on two different BP medications and would love to eventually be able to come off of them.

Thank you so much for posting this information. I have a family member dealing with this issue (which seems to run in the family since 2 of his 5 children also were also on meds to control it. I’ll make your Simple Salve, (leaving Rosemary out) but giving them the bottle to try it topically, but with the option and info. to leave it out if they experience any adverse effects. Wonderful blog posts and thank so much for helping our family with your knowledge. Can’t wait to read more of your work!

I know I’m not the only one who has been anxious for this ‘recipe’. I know you had a personal motivation for conducting this experiment, but we appreciate you sharing with the rest of us. I have been having such great results from some of my EO ‘cures’ that I cant keep myself from sharing them with everybody lol. Fortunately Blood Pressure is not an issue that my immediate clan is dealing with right now, but this one is definitely getting printed out for the future. I would suspect that if a person (like you did Gaye) and just started seeing elevated BP’s than this type of gentle nudging could be more effective, faster acting, than somebody who has had high BP chronically for a longer time. If anybody in my circle starts seeing higher numbers this will DEFINATELY by my first line of action(closely monitored of course). HAA HA, I just love EO’s. I’ve said for years that I just knew there had to be a way that mankind had treated ailments for millennia before all the recent chemical concoctions from big pharma came along.

I have been experimenting with DIY reed diffusers. They smell heavenly but I doubt that there are any huge therapeutic benefits other than a nice smell (which, now that I think about it, can be calming and stress relieving).

With water diffusers, the oils become a part of the mist that we breath so they actually enter the body both via the lungs and the skin.

I should post my DIY reed diffusers in an upcoming Survival Buzz. I use the el-cheapo oils from NOW Foods in them so they really cost only pennies to make. They still smell nice 🙂

“I did not mention it in the article but I have made a batch without the Frankincense to see what happens. Frank, as we call it, can be quite precious (expensive) but it does kick things up a notch. Now that I have stabilized, I want to see if it can be omitted.”

So yes, absolutely. Use what you have on hand and track your results. I have not started to use the BP salve that I made without Frankincense so I am not sure what will happen. That said, there are many good EO brands out there so if you already have some, by all means use it.

Thanks so much for this information! I am looking at starting to use essential oils as part of my health routine. I have some medical issues and I refuse to become a ‘walking pharmacy’ as my mother was before her death. When taking prescription drugs there are always so many side effects and then the doctor adds another drug to combat that side effect etc. I use as many natural things as I can to aid in my health issues. Right now I am trying to lose about 75 pounds. Is there an essential oil or other natural product you can recommend that will help this issue. I do not have a thyroid gland and that is part of the problem but I found that the prescription drug I was taking did not do the job. My numbers were always just right but I gained weight no matter how I increased my exercise or limited my calorie intake. Something was definitely wrong. Since I stopped taking the drug and started using raw thyroid as a substitute I am no longer gaining weight but am having difficulty losing what I had already gained.
Any thoughts or ideas on this would be greatly appreciated.

when i first became hypothyroid, i had the same problem. my doctors told me that i couldn’t be hypothyroid because all my blood tests were within the normal range. they were wrong. everyone has their own normal range, and each person’s can be very different. for example, my normal range for tsh (thyroid stimulating hormone) level is from 1 to 1.5, approximately. the “normal range” in general is from about 0.5 to 5.5 (it varies a little from one lab to the next), but if my tsh is 3.0 i’m very sick! you have to find an endocrinologist who understands this, and who will adjust your dosage according to your symptoms, not just assume you’re fine because your tsh is somewhere in the normal range. most of them understand this, but there are still some endocrinologists who haven’t gotten the memo yet.

I, too, have been struggling with exactly the same issue. In 1985 I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and given radioactive iodine which effectively destroyed my thyroid gland. I went from hyperthyroid to hypothyroid and began putting on weight….about 75 pounds to date. As you did, I tried everything to shed the weight. The doctors assured me that synthetic thyroid supplements would bring me back to normal, but that did not happen. I would suggest seeing a naturopathic doctor for this issue. My naturopath suggested a rotating pill regime wherein twice per week I take a slightly increased dose of Nature Throid. This gives me the energy boost I need (without sending me into hyperthyroid territory) and I am starting to lose weight (along with good diet and regular walking). Good luck and I do sympathize with your plight. My goal is to arrive at a point wherein I do not depend on allopathic medicine for anything unless it’s an emergency visit.

Thanks so much. That sounds like exactly the type of treatment I am looking for. Don’t think either of us would have taken the radioactive iodine to totally destroy the thyroid gland if we knew then what we know now, right? There had to be a better way but that was the most convenient for the doctors and the long range affects were not so important I guess.

i would have chosen surgery, but i was on medicaid at the time, and they weren’t about to pay for the more expensive option! my sister had the same problem (graves’) and had surgery, and she’s been stable on synthroid from the start. but i had some thyroid gland left, and i think that’s why i never stabilized–my immune system was still gradually but erratically destroying those cells (my theory). last year i had an ultrasound that showed all the cells were atrophied and nonfunctional, which may be why i’m more stable now. but that process took 20 years! i think some people need the whole thyroid extract (armour); after all, there are 4 or 5 different hormones produced by the human thyroid gland, and medical science still only knows what the function of two of them are. i suspect if 90% of thyroid patients were male instead of female, they would’ve figured that out already–but maybe i should give them a break; they’ve only had about 70 years!

I’ve been studying herbal medicine for many years…to rely on pharmaceuticals is delusionary and unwise. There are only a few that are really effective. Take your care into your own hands and learn. Statins, most prescribed medication, is a total hoax, as is most cholesterol scares. It isn’t about FATS, we’ve been lied to…..it’s SUGAR. WANT TO GET HEALTHY? Learn how to alkaline your body. Most western diets create an acidic condition, which is basically the root of all disease. Take cancer for example, which is merely a symptom of acidosis. If your body is 7.4 pH, cancer cells become dormant, if your body is 7.6 pH, cancer cells CANNOT grow, and your blood will be more oxygenated. FACT..sugar feeds cancer, but I bet your oncologist never told you that. We have been really mislead and I’ll informed. Learn to eat well, and you will be very healthy…thing that concerns me is trauma injury. Not afraid of any illness what so ever…take control brothers and sisters

I have read that you can fine your bodies PH with an ordinary PH test strip. You will lay it on your tongue, but there was something about doing it in the morning, or not doing it in the morning. I’m sorry, I am old and forgetful. I am trying very hard to raise my PH. Definitely no soda pop.

Actually, it is CARBOHYDRATES of all types. All carbohydrates convert to Glucose in the digestive process. Whether refined table sugar, HFCS, wheat, navy beans, corn, etcetera, etcetera. And the GI scale is a delusional myth. The “Diabetic Diet” book by Dr. Bernstein is a VG resource as are the EARLY versions books by Dr. Atkins on the Atkins Revolution… with the best probably being “Low Carb High Fat Diet Revolution” (can’t recall author offhand; he is Swedish, which is where this book was written about 2012 and recently translated to English… Sweden has since moved to now formally recommending the LCHF Diet as their national recommendation and STRONGLY recommending against Low Fat diets).

I remember getting the Atkins book when it first came out then later when it was newly updated. The books are still sitting in the garage somewhere. Shelly did well with them but my cholesterol went through the roof. Is there a reason you say the EARLY Atkins books? I don’t have any of the more recent books (those published after his death) so have no basis of comparison.

By the way, I dropped Rosemary from my last batch of BP salve and Shelly’s BP has risen by 20 points. Mine is the same – very normal if not low. Just goes to show you we all respond differently.

I can only post what double-blind placebo controlled clinical research studies show (plus my own anecdotal report). Otherwise the other difference (that explains why we respond “differently”) is the placebo effect.

If one truly believes that, regardless of what research has proven, that Rosemary EO will lower their BP, and believes that sufficiently for the Placebo Effect to kick in (about 5-20% of any given case, depending on situation), then for those few, that is what would happen… I believe that in one of the early trials of Prozac (???) the placebo pill came very close to the success rate of Prozac. And in several studies (one of the ones with L-Deprenyl as I recall) the placebo (an inert substance) had more severe side effects in some categories!

Of course the problem is that the placebo effect simply can’t last forever. A year. 2 years? 5 years? But likely not near that long before it poops out.

As for the Atkins books, it is a little complicated. Dr. Atkins started out as a cardiologist who had himself put on about 90 lbs while going through college and medical school. After several attempts at very low calorie diets (which made him miserable and simply caused a loss in energy – but no weight loss as it just slowed his metabolism down significantly) and Glycemic Index Carbs diets (which just made him fatter more slowly), he read about the Banting Diet and decided to try a modern version of it… And lost 26 lbs in 6 weeks. He then tried it with several of his patients and some interested peers – and found the same results (some even more significantly, those who reduced carbs the most). As he experimented along he developed what ended up being published as the Atkins Diet Revolution in 1972 initially (several reprinting with no updating).

There was a surge of popularity (his book was on NYT Best-selling List for over 5 years) and then he faded from the scene to some extent. Some was because too many people looked at LC as another “fad” diet, something you did for 3-4 months and then went back to normal eating (why “dieting” doesn’t work – it has to be a lifestyle change). And part was the fault of Atkins. Number one was the nutritional aspect. He had the Low Carb part right (and the fact that certain Carbs are total no-no foods), but then emphasized on protein where the second emphasis HAS to be on fats (preferably animal / bird / seafood fats… long with the highly saturated fats of coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil – as far as other plant oils, Olive Oil is at best “okay”) with moderate levels of complete (animal-based) proteins. The other aspect was that Atkins had a spell there where he got heavily involved with “Complimentary Medicine” (being sued several times, temporarily losing his license to practice a couple times, etcetera – but never regarding “his” diet – it had been a recommended diet since before William Banting even… see Wiki for a quickie).

Anyway, if one reads “Dr. Robert Atkins” (Mary Rogan) one finds the complicated man that Atkins was, how he craved attention, yet wanted the respect of his peers. So as time went on, he went down the complimentary medicine path while backing off on focus from the Diet (as shown by books he published then). As that didn’t work out how he hoped, he returned to The Diet, but began making slight changes here and there (starting with the “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution” and, IMO, going downhill from there; this was 1992, 11 years before his death, so we’re talking about books well before his death, not simply afterwards).

Anyway, he began adding higher amounts of allowed carbs, small amounts of prohibited carbs, many artificial products (sold also by the Atkins Foundation) to have fake flour, fake mashed potatoes, protein bars with sugar alcohols and soy protein (sugar alcohols DO digest somewhat in the intestines, contrary to popular belief and some claims by low carb / diabetes diets advocates and soy, well, soy is just plain wrong on so many levels) and a lesser emphasis on ANIMAL fats over plant oils (with coconut oil and palm oil being exceptions). And actually some of that existed back in his early books, just got worse as (driven by need to publish something “New”) more books were put out, the (commercial sales) Atkins Foundation fired up, etcetera…. Then IMO, the situation worsened after Dr. Atkins died with the take-over then of the Foundation and the selling of rights for publishing additional material with the Dr. Atkins diet tagging.

Helen – Alas, Facebook misbehaves and thinks they are doing you a favor by not showing my posts. The best advice I can give you is to go to my FB page and start liking and commenting. That will “tell” FB you find my posts interesting.

Also, some people have a “notifications” button at the top of the page. Be sure to select that you want to be “notified”.

Other than that, I don’t know what to do other than whip FB with a wet noodle (kidding).

A lot will depend on storage conditions. If kept cool and in their original dark bottles, essential oils should last for years. This is especially true if they are sealed and have not been exposed to air. Like any oil, over time they will turn rancid if subjected to temperature fluctuations and air/oxygen.

I just read Safety Considerations When Using Essentail Oils and it stated to avoid Rosemary and Thyme for anyone with High Blood Pressure. You have it as one of your blood pressure control essential oils. What are your thoughts on this?
I am new to using Essential Oils and will be trying your essential oil combination for High Blood Pressure.
Thanks,
Jackie

With each day, I study and learn more about essential oils. I found some research citing Rosemary as an oil to use to control hypertension (high blood pressure) and so I added it to the formula I was experimenting with late last year. I am okay with it and, practically speaking, Rosemary is a component of Miracle Healing Salve which is my go-to oil for everything and anything.

Sounds like I need to revisit and amend the safety article that was written a while back.

thank you so much for all the work you put into this Gaye! I did my own research on rosemary and thyme and everything I read, especially written by Tisserand says that they are not usually a problem with high blood pressure. I know I am not the original poster, but you have to know how much many of us appreciate all the hard work and your wonderful articles!

Actually, I believe that it is LOWER in mornings and raises during the day… although that is a generality as it fluctuates a LOT during any given day.

And I have yet (over several decades) gone to a doctor’s visit or blood donation where the doctor / nurse / tech took the blood pressure reading correctly! So it universally will run artificially high!

hi gaya
i love u r site.Thanks so much for this information. of course after reading this one and since i have high bp i made a batch and now after 2 weeks in which i was checking( i stoped my medication.. ) mornings afternoons and evenings i can tell u with great happiness that it worked for me beyond my dreams.it reduce my bp to levels i had when i was very young ( 71/109 69/106.. and so on.ill have to check with my doc of course after, but i cant thank u enough.
one more question: u mention u did it in a roller ball as well.
i couldn’t find tho what was the size of the roller so i didn’t understand how much other oil to top. is it 1 oz as well?
thanx again

The standard roller ball bottles are 10ml or 1/3 ounce, although there seems to be a lot of variance from bottle to bottle. I use 1/3 recipe: 10 drops of Ylang Ylang and 5 drops each of the other oils.

I am so thrilled that the BP blend is working for you – my own results are similar and seem to be getting better (less variance) daily.

I have found multiple CLINICAL STUDIES results online that show that Rosemary RAISES blood pressure levels. Not anecdotal reports or repeated statements from books that just repeat older books, but actual clinical studies.

Your Blend otherwise looks good although – based on clinical studies data – I would look at exchanging the Cypress with Lavender (or at least adding Lavender). Bergamot would be a good option also.

I used a recommended blend that had Rosemary as it’s second highest ingredient. Over 10 weeks, my BP which had been consistently at the range of 130-140 / 80-90 climbed to 150-160 / 90-100. I have now stopped that protocol and after a washout period am going to start a Blend of Ylang ylang, Lavender, Geranium, and Bergamot with an Argon Oil carrier.

Thanks for checking in. I am interested in following your progress over the next few weeks. What are the ratios you will be using?

Also, just FYI, I dropped the Frankincense from my protocol and am holding my own as is Shelly. I used it mostly as a kick-starter and now that we both are stable, am seeing no ill-effects from removing it from the blend. Frank is so precious, cost-wise, that I am glad to see that it can be omitted once BP is in the normal range.

P. S. Tisserand and is NOT a good source in a complete sense. A LOT of Tisserand’s material is based on his opinions and NOT research! When clinical research shows that Rosemary (and Thyme – and a couple others) elevates blood pressure, one should accept actual research darts over tradition.

I hope to report the differences of ingredients – and improvements of BP levels (I have a high end BP monitor and plan on taking 3 daily readings – and averaging – at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 8 weeks. Though not starting until Monday (end of washout period), am using today’s average of 153/96 with a 92 pulse (these being taken as resting rates under the STRICT guidelines as specified by the AM A for taking readings).

Applied mainly topically (massaged in) to bottoms of feet and lower legs below calves…. with 5 minute inhalation a couple times a day.

I have all of these in stock.

I have 2 full (large) bottles of Rosemary and 3 smaller mostly full bottles, plus 2 full (large) bottles of White Thyme. As my son has very LOW blood pressure, I am going to be giving them to him for a similar experiment in the opposite direction.

Well, the blend simply took me back to where I was at before (actually at the high end of my prior range). I am sure that the Rosemary caused the elevation that I referred to – and that removing the Rosemary let it drop back to close to where it was.

I am disappointed that it hasn’t shown any further improvement. As I still have quite a bit of reserve stock, I will continue the protocol for likely several months (just in case there’s a delayed response).

I have found that a big part of my problem is from being chronically dehydrated. Apparently some supplements that I had been taking were fairly strong diuretics. My hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were pretty high and a series of 3 phlebotomies – done every other week! – barely lowered it (removing a pint every two weeks should have lowered it seriously – but didn’t). That’s when some research showed the dehydration problem. Even with stopping those supplements, it can take weeks for my body to flush those remnants from my system.

That quite likely is a main reason for my higher range BP (and possibly why the EO blend wasn’t working!).

Also, my research found that diuretics aren’t really a great idea anyway. They not only thicken the blood but cause loss of valuable minerals, cause clinical dehydration (which is really bad for diabetics, yet endocrinologists routinely prescribe them to their diabetes patients), and not only don’t cause body to release retained water (as they draw water from the blood, not from cells which are storing too much water), but can worsen the situation by causing the body to resist the water loss by retaining MORE water! The best way to release retained water is through a strict LOW CARB Diet and drinking more water (the body then recognizing that water is plentiful and releasing EXCESS water from cells)

Now I have 3 more phlebotomies scheduled for more blood withdrawal. The hematologist agrees with me as far as once I get the H&H levels down to goal range that regular Red Cross donations should maintain that level.

And hopefully that (the “thicker” blood) will also be what is causing the higher BP and take care of that also.

ROSEMARY is a known Blood Pressure INCREASER. People with high blood pressure should not be using it at all. Replace it with Clary or Clove. And Lemon will help in either direction. Do a little homework on the research of each oil you use in a blend. BP lowering: Ylang Ylang, Clary Sage, Clove, Marjoram, Lavender and Lemon along with diet. Put blend over heart and on reflex points.

All you can do is try. My instinct is that it is the Ylang Ylang and Cypress doing the heavy lifting (of lowering the BP) but to be honest, the combination I am using is working so well that I really do not want to drop the other components.

In our case, the drop in BP was almost immediate and has stayed that way. We apply the salve morning and night. BP is much lower in the evening. Good luck and be sure to report back and let us know how your combination of oils worked for you.

We received our new “omron” bp monitor a couple of days ago because my PA said I have high readings and she prescribed a bp RX. When I test at home, my pressure is not high. Thinking that maybe our old monitor is tired,I ordered a new one.Your essential oil post is very timely. She also is open-minded!
Of course it’s not allI have to do….losing weight really is needed, I admit,and more excercise

We received our new “omron” bp monitor a couple of days ago because my PA said I have high readings and she prescribed a bp RX. When I test at home, my pressure is not high. Thinking that maybe our old monitor is tired,I ordered a new one.Your essential oil post is very timely. She also is open-minded!
Of course it’s not all I have to do….losing weight really is needed, I admit,and more excercise

hi Gaye
for a while the BLEND i used was the one u gave IT HERE and it helped me for weeks and then suddenly after one day my bp just jumped for a day or so. i made some changes so my blend and it will be
1 ounce Simple Salve (dirty salve)
30 drops Ylang Ylang
15 drops lavender
15 drops geranium
15 drops spikenard ( U CAN SKIP IT NEVER THE LESS IT HAS GREAT EFFECTS)
15 drops Frankincense/
but i rather it in a roller.
the smell is heavenly and it helps me MUCH more . however i notice that my bp is rising whenever i m not getting enough rest or sleep.when i do, the blend works wonderful.
i rather too to use it in a roller its very convenient and i can take it with me and use it on the spot when ever i feel i need it.
till now it saved me from a 5 ml pill i used to take every day . i spoke with my physician and she said its ok if it helps . if by any chance it happens and my bp raises i can always take 1 pill and continue with the blend for another few weeks .

thanks for informing us with all the efforts its nice to try and check such things

i bought it from india from a company which is Under Licence from Food Safety & Standards Authority of India.and i was very satisfied with their product.its called Pure Jatamansi Essential Oil (Nardostachys Jatamansi) – Also known as Spikenard and its from deveherbeshop .its a food grade oil.its a very versatile oil

I would like to make the Blood pressure Salve for my husband to try. little confused on measurements. it says 1 ounce of Simple Salve then all the oils. well how much does the Simple Salve make on its own, how many ounces does the recipe for the simple salve make by itself.
Thanks want to get on this as soon as possible.

The basic Simple Salve recipe makes 16 ounces but you can easily cut it back. Here is a link: //www.backdoorsurvival.com/diy-all-natural-simple-salve/. As you can see, it uses 1 cup each of coconut oil and olive oil plus some beeswax. You cut cut it by half or even a quarter and it will come out fine. I actually double the recipe because I use it so much!

My question is -Gaye how long did it take to lower your BP with the EO’s? I’ve hit the 160’s/90’s. I cut caffeine, pushing water which I love anyway and got back to my mineral baths(that use to work better). I know I need to work on weight gained over the past year. I do look forward to your answer.
Peace & Blessings Mia

Mia – Days. I am talking about 3 or 4 days. Note that BP is lower at night; sometimes mine is as low as 95/65. My doctor says not to worry. Now here is the thing: I am having been trying to lose 3 or 4 pounds for a year. Seriously. A week ago I went on a water marathon meaning I am drinking a lot more water – perhaps as much as 32 ounces plus the water I get in coffee, fruits, and veggies. My BP has climbed about 5 points – not a lot – but some.

As far as weight loss, I am afraid to climb on the scale but I do feel better and my face seems slimmer 🙂

The other thing is stress plays a role in BP so keep that in mind, too.

Have you considered adding Clary Sage essential oil to your already amazing BP salve? I have heard wonderful things about Clary Sage and what it can do to help lower blood pressure. Here is a link to an article about the effects of Clary Sage on high blood pressure: //www.nyrnaturalnews.com/aromatherapy-2/2013/07/clary-sage-essential-oil-beats-lavender-for-lowering-bp/

I just pulled out my Desk Reference and did not see Clary Sage listed for BP but that doesn’t mean it is not effective. I am going to stir a few drops into my salve and see what happens. (That’s me, the human guinea pig!) Perhaps it is the calming effect that reduces stress thus reducing BP? Thanks for the link; now I need to do some testing.

I resently gave accRoss your post in my search for an alternative to BP medication. I bought some EO and wmated to see how to use them. I loved how you created your salve and decided I would give it a try. I may have missed this in the thread, but I wanted to know how long you used the salve before you saw results.

Michelle – Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. In my own case, I got results within 24 hours. It has now been a year and my BP is rarely over 115/70. My husbands BP is not that low but his doctor did eliminate 1 of his 3 BP meds.

Depending on the cause of your elevated BP, you may want to eliminate the Rosemary. For me, stress was a big factor so the Rosemary help calm me 🙂

No problem at all although you may find the application easier using a roller ball. You might have missed this part:
“Although I prefer the salve, I have also used the same essential oils in a roller ball topped with fractionated (liquid) coconut oil. In that case, use just 10 drops of Ylang Ylang and 5 drops each of the other oils.”

For the diffuser blend, I add the same oils (except for the Frankincense) to a re-purposed essential oil bottle. I add a dropper cap and at night or sometimes while I am working on a stressful project, add 6 to 8 drops to the diffuser (along with water, of course). Just to refresh, this is what I use:

Gaye, I am 72 years old female 5′ 1 and weigh 150 lb my bp averages 144/86. Is there a normal that bp should be for that age? I know that I am about 20 to 30lb overweight, but having lots of trouble losing weight, I am also under lots of stress and suffer from a-fib. I would appreciate any advice/suggestions you could give me. I am currently not taking any prescription meds I was on about five different ones I stopped taking them about six months ago.

When I had my last checkup last summer, my doctor went over the newest BP guidelines: “The new guidelines change nothing if you’re younger than 60. But if you’re 60 or older, the target has moved up: Your goal is to keep your blood pressure at 150/90 or lower. If you have kidney disease or diabetes, your target used to be 130/80 or lower; now it’s 140/90 or lower.”

My own BP has always been on the low side (110/80) so I never worried about it. Then, in December 2014 it jumped to 165/90 (in that range). I was freaked out and so I started dabbling with essential oils. My BP is currently running about 99/65 give or take and rarely gets above 118/80.

Still given the new guidelines, you may be okay. What does your doc say? BTW, good for you for not taking any meds – just make sure your healthcare provider is onboard. (Or find one that is!)

I am in the process of changing my healthcare provider as my insurace has changed. My old dr was not happy with me for stopping my melds, but every time I went in for a checkup she added another pill, I just got tired of all those pills and still did not feel good. I feel much better after stopping the Medes. I now take a low dose aspirin daily and use my EO as needed. Thanks for the info. If you have any additional advise it will be appreciated.

I was all set to start using rosemary in my shampoo and conditioner, to help with thinning hair. I have hbp. After reading about rosemary and hbp, would it be unwise to try it? It would be diluted to a 2% rate in the shampoo and conditioner.

I just started adding Rosemary to my conditioner for the same reason. I also mixed some with coconut oil and am using it as a hair serum around my hairline which to my eye, seems to be receding. The dilution is so minor that I honestly do no believe it will affect BP. I take my BP each night and so far see no change. If anything, it is lower. Good luck. For both our sakes, I hope it works.

PS – I have only been doing this for 2 weeks and am already seeing less hair in my sink!

Thank you for his article. I all of a sudden have highly elevated BP. And will not use drugs. I already have one diffuser and will get another to have one in the living room and bedroom without having to move them back and forth.

I am ordering marjorum and cypress as I do not have those on hand. I do have the salve ingredients and make most of my own products including toothpaste/scrub, body butter, etc.

My normal BP has historically been ~110/65 until 4 months ago when I was sick and it was 140/100. We thought it was 1x due to the illness/stress. But then 3 weeks ago at a routine physical it was way up there still. My doc said I needed to go on meds and that it was simply age related (I am 49). I said “no way” and I’d fix it with diet and other natural means. He relented with a stern warning and orders to measure it 2x every day and report findings.

I immediately cleaned up my diet which dropped it to 125/85 over about 2 weeks – so still too high. Found this article, made the roller ball version and within 4 days it was back to where I have historically been. My first foray into the world of EO’s … and I am a convert.

Gaye, have you seen any research on how Clary Sage, Lavender, Marjoram, Cypress and Ylang Ylang affect your heart rate? Do you monitor BP and heart rate at the same time? In my research, the only ones that work to reduce BP without also lowering the heart rate are Marjoram and Lavender, which is important if you already have a low heart rate (you wouldn’t want it to go dangerously low). I’ve read the articles about Clary Sage being more effective than Lavender for BP, but Clary Sage also lowers the heart rate. I think the same is true for Cypress and Ylang Ylang. I welcome any information you may have.

I’d like to start using your EO blend for hypertension to treat my elevated bp, but I’m currently going through fertility treatments and both marjoram and rosemary are generally contraindicated for pregnancy. Are there pregnancy safe substitutions for those oils, you might suggest? Thanks in advance!

You can definitely omit the Rosemary. I only use it when stressed since it does serve as a powerful relaxant. On the other hand, I just consulted my two EO “bibles” and neither list Marjoram as an EO to avoid during pregnancy. As a matter of fact, Marjoram EO has no known contraindications that I know of. Still, since I am not a health care professional, I would suggest you seek their advice.

But I am curious, what resource suggested you avoid Marjoram EO? And finally, good luck with your treatment. I know how grueling fertility treatments can be.

Thank you for your reply, and that’s good to know! Honestly I wasn’t able to find much about marjoram being contraindicated for pregnancy, beyond a general internet search on the topic. I figured better safe than sorry. I’ll omit the rosemary, but otherwise keep it as is. Thanks!

How long should a 1oz jar of the BP salve last if used as you recommended? I just want to try to make sure I am not using it in an ‘overkill’ method. Or adversely, not using enough to gain benefits. Thanks

At one time I had tracked this but I no longer remember exactly. I believe a 1 oz jar lasts 2 to 3 weeks with two of using the salve twice a day. The next time I start a new jar, I will start counting.

Would you have any idea how many drops of oil would be in the small bottles of oils. I would like to try your BP salve, but would like to make just a small amount to start with before I get bigger amounts of the oils.

Gaye,
I am going to be using 4 ounce jars and was wondering how many drops of each oil for that amount.
My daughter just got me into oils and really like them. Great recipe by the way, have been using roller bottle but would like to try the salve.

I leave the diffuser on all night long which can be anywhere from 4 hours to 8 hours, depending on the water capacity of the diffuser. I have read that the benefits of diffusion diminish after 45 minutes or an hour but have not seen any studies that validate that.

By the way, I find this blend to be quite relaxing and often diffuse it during the day to relieve anxiety.

There is no smell once it is applied so no worries in that regard. As far as Rosemary EO, Rosemary itself is a great stress reliever. On the other hand, I have learned that the use of Rosemary can actually raise BP in some individuals but not others. For that reason, I tend to leave it out except during particularly stressful periods.

Hi Gaye! thank you for this info! do you think your blend could be modified for an aromatherapy inhaler? they are so portable and easy to use, I was thinking I’d like to have one on hand whenever I’m out.

Hello. I thought that I would tell you about my experience with rosemary. I used to use Lysinopril for high bp and slowly weaned myself off of it with lavender essential oil. I started using rosemary just a few months ago and really liked it, so it was in my diffuser a lot of the time. My bp went up to almost stroke level during that time, and then my essential oil advisors told me not to ever take rosemary if I had this problem. If I were you, I would seriously consider taking the rosemary out of your recipe, it is dangerous for people with high bp. I know that it seems calming, but there is an ingredient in it that can raise bp, and you don’t realize that it’s doing it.

Thanks so much for the lowering BP recipe.
I made it for my husband who was trying to control his BP with diet
and it wasn’t working. Less than a week on your recipe and his BP has dropped
20-30 points. Enough to keep him off medicine. What a blessing you are for sharing it!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Hello, just curious, was he taking meds while on EOs? And was it mostly diffusing or did you apply topically as well? I don’t plan to ingest anyway, but i did see contraindication for the meds i’m taking (Nifedipine).

Do you consider using the diffuser to be an integral part of lowering your blood pressure? I have only used the oils topically, and I can’t tell that it is helping.
Also, do you think the oils could be mixed with unscented lotion, aloe vera gel or witch hazel, and still give results?

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MEET GAYE

I'm Gaye, just an ordinary gal trying to make sense of our changing world. I am addicted to prepping, DIY projects, adult coloring books, and ballroom dancing. I live what I call a strategic life and believe you should too. Everyone needs to prepare for the worst and live for the best. Won't you join me?